He has previously worked as an economist, in local economic development, and as a publishing executive for Sandhills Publishing. He was also a policy analyst for the Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations.[1]

Fortenberry was an at-large member of the Lincoln City Council from 1997 to 2001. His main commitments in this role were community revitalization and increasing public safety, but doing both without raising taxation. Among the economic development and community revitalization projects he worked on were the transition of a major public hospital and building a new baseball stadium.[2]

Fortenberry cites his work on the City Council, maintaining a balanced budget while making "hard decisions about the numbers of firefighters and police officers, funding for parks and recreation, adequate city services, and reasonable taxes and fees to pay for city priorities," as an example of fiscal responsibility that citizens should demand from the federal government as well.[3]

He won re-election to a third term, defeating Marine veteran Max Yashirin 70-30%.[9]

2010

He was challenged in the Republican primary for the first time since 2004. He drew two opponents and won with 84% of the vote.[10] He won re-election to a fourth term, defeating legislative staffer Ivy Harper, 71%-29%.[11]

2012

He drew two opponents in the Republican primary again, but won with 86% of the vote.[12]

2014

He won re-election to a sixth term, defeating attorney and Democrat Dennis Crawford.[13]

Fortenberry believes that "a strong ag economy, small business diversification, and Nebraskans' practical sense regarding responsible lending, finance, and governance” have influenced Nebraska's economic success, and has called for leaders in Washington to look to the Heartland as a model of economic revitalization.[14] He voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, otherwise known as the bailout bill, decrying the "too big to fail" paradigm and unsustainable taxpayer exposure.

Agriculture, energy, and environment

Fortenberry introduced the Renewable Fuels for America’s Future Act of 2010, "a smart and thoughtful way to reduce subsidies for the production of ethanol" [15] that would result in taxpayer savings of $5.67 billion, according to economists Ernie Goss of Creighton University and Bruce Babcock of Iowa State University.[16]

Healthcare

Fortenberry supports patient-centered health care reform that lowers costs, improves outcomes, and protects vulnerable persons.[17] He introduced H.R. 321, the SCHIP Plus Act of 2009 to offer eligible families the choice of retaining coverage for their children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program or using SCHIP funds to help pay for a family insurance plan, saving both family and taxpayer dollars.[18] Fortenberry voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform bill that was signed into law on March 23, 2010, noting "This health-care debate is no longer about real health-care reform; it’s about power. Thoughtful health-care reform could have been achieved with 80-percent support: Health-care reform that drove down costs, improved health-care outcomes, and protected vulnerable persons.".[19]

Foreign affairs

Fortenberry claims to be "uncommonly well-informed on international issues,",[20] and has prioritized foreign affairs work on the Middle East and Africa while in Congress.

Nuclear security

Fortenberry co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Nuclear Security Caucus with U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff. He has been endorsed by Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC.[21]